Folding top for vehicles.



Specification of Letfvters Patent.

Patented Jaiy fifi, 1316.

Apgiieon eil July 11, 191,4, Serial No. 850,504.

My invei ,ion relate@ lio iipaoven'iena in gelding taps for vehieleei, in w1 h the hows are simpel-ized freni h y peiioe oi the vehieie and are severed, eetive meteiiel.

The objects of hij? ini-'eiitisjio providetop for pioteeiiig he seats, and. also single i'iiimhie oe rear scat, o1' atwo passenger second, ivo provide a receptacle for eozopleeiv housing the top when folded 'Chil-d o providermeeiis for carrying the foided iop inside of he normal body linee ef the vehiele body, so ibhe when the top is folded and in the reeeptaele, there will be no indication. from the appearance of 'ne body that ie by Vthe vehicle, or that any additional provision is mede for housing the bopg and fourth, to ,moeot the top 'from the elemente, oi' from oil, dust and mnd. I mini-.ii iheee ohjeete by the mechanism iliusraied in the accompanying dravw inge, in Whieh- Figui@ ie :i view' ei he motor veliirie with The te? ieieed; Fig. f e. partie?. side View 'wih e, buiken Seeiozi of recel mele showing the top oowe folded in same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of e motor vehiele showin g2; the plan of the top receptacle, with the cover'V over seme; Fig. Liie a plan View of the Skeleon fname W-sfk of ihe o'p, showing seme o1.' the hows ilziVV i, end others with the epeeiei means foi ieiieng he widiih to enf dile Le he Figs, and 6, seni-.Y ine pian viewe bows reepeeively of the eire in Y foi h'ariowing og" Changing )he Width of 2eme; .sind Fig` e mehod of ehzmg ing lie Width of ehe Wide loew through the @geiles of a Edding eliemihle mation.

fjimilzir mimeiale ieief te similar parte body 1, of 'die meioz vehieie, io which my improved, top is applied, is of the three dented type, having forward Seats, 2, 2, and

muy be of a Width to accommodate one passenger, oi may 1oe wide enough to seat tivo oi Access to this rear seat ie .more pnesengers. o tained by separning 2, if, and leaving e imssageway between them, which is reached through the door 5, and the body l. Around the seat il, and between it and the normal side or eontoui" lines of the body l, n receptacle 6, is provided for containing the reailoi rumble 'seat 3. This rumbie seat entire top when ii. folded back outy of use,

This i'ecepiaele is so constructed that it is contained inside of what is ordinarilyr the normal sides and deck of the body, so that, no notice-able or unsightly protubemnce is needed for housing' the folded top.

This top, for the type of motor vehicle iilnetiated, consists of a mein bow 7, which is pivoted at 8, at the forward end of the ieoeptecle This mein now 7, Carries a bow 9, pivoted at the front of 7, at position 10. The bow 9, in turn Carries a forwardly ex tendingr bow 11, pivoted to the bow 9 at the point 19. This bow-is jointed at l", so that the Crown Wil fold to the same height :is the bow 9; as illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the rear ofthe how 7, extends the how 14, pivoted to the bow 7, at 15, and from '14 extends the, bow 16, pivote'd to the bow l@ zu, 'ne point 17.

in order that the-top mawhen raised, fully protect, the 'forward seats 2, 2, and when lowered may be completely contained within the relatively narrow receptacle 6,1 provide means sueh for example as t 'ose iilustiated in Figs. 4 to 7 iholiisive, fof varying" the Width of one oi more 'of th' foiemest bows, so that these loewe 'may' he mede Wide enough to span the ferw'ard eeas when the im) is raised, and may be xjeduced in width sufficiently to enable them to 'Withiii the receptacle 6 when the topis lowered.

Each of the collapsible or telescopic bows 7, 9 and il is formed from two'equal parte 18 and 19 Pivoted to 18, at the hinge 3i', is memloeirv 20, which is permitted to swing in- .Wardly only, and is prevented from moving placed in position, as shown in Fig. 3. any pieces of luggage or other articles, which 6, by the stops Q1. Pivoted between the hinge joint 2Q, of the member 20, and the end of the bow 19, at the joint Q3, a swinging member Q4, carrying stop lugs '25, and a spring lock 26, having a bolt 27, for engaging the holes in both 2O and 2.4, which aline when the swinging frames are in the position illustrated in Fig. 6, this being the full width position oi the bow.

Vhen the frames 20 and Q4 are swung inwardly and to one side, as shown in Fig. 7 the ends of 18 and 19 are brought close together, and the bow is then made narrow enough to fit into the receptacle, when the top is folded. The receptacle 6 is provided with a cover 28, which may be in one piece hinged to the body at the rear, or made tov lift ofi'. This cover may also be divided at the point shown by the dotted line 29, in Fig. 3, and each half hinged at the sides to open outwardly from each other. After the top has been raised tbe cover 28 may agairn be s 1 hns it is found convenient to carry in the receptacle, are protected, and the receptacle is also rendered ineonspicuous.v At the forward edge of this receptacle are provided slots 30, 30, which engage the bowl, when it is in the raised position, and provide increased vlateral rigidity to the top when raised.

lVhile the top illustrated is permanently pivoted to the body through. one bow, l do not limit myself to this construction, ,as my telescopic or collapsible bows may be used with any folding top for any vehicle, where it is desired to fold the top into a receptacle built into the body, or where it is ,desired` for any reason, to have the folded top narrower than when it is raised andv in use.

I do not limit myself to the type of fold ing joint as illustrated in Figs. 6, and 7 as I may use any method or means of col lapsiug, telescoping, or changing the width of the bows. Neither do I limit myself to the number of bows which l telescope or change in width, as one or any number, up to the' full equipment used in the complete top, may be so narrowed, collapsed, or telescoped.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. The combination with a vehicle body f having a receptacle inclosed therein, of a foldable top for said body, including one or more bows, said top when raised being wider at its widest point than said receptacle, connecting means operative both when the top is raised and when it is lowered for con neoting the top to the body, and means for varying thewidth of one or more of said bows, whereby said top may, when lowered, be received within said receptacle.

f2. The combination with a vehicle body having a receptacle inclosed therein, of a foldable top for said body, pivoted thereto and including one or more bows, ysaid top when raised being wider at its widest point than said receptacle and means for varying the width of one or more of said bows,

. whereby said top may, when lowered, be re- 4of said bows whereby said top may when lowered be received within said receptacle.

4. The combination with a ,vehicle body havinga receptacle inclosed therein; of a foldable top for said bodv pivoted within said receptacle and including one or more bows, said top when raised being wider, at its widest point, than said receptacle; and

.means for 'varying the width of one or more of said bows whereby said top may, when lowered, be wholly received within said receptacle. 1

5. The combination with a vehicle body having a seating compartment and a receptacle partially surrounding said compartment; of a foldable top for said body includ ingone or more bows, saidtop when raised being wider, at its widest point, than said receptacle; connecting means operative both when the top is raised and when it is lowered for connecting the top to the body and means for varying the width of one or more bows whereby said top may when lowered be received within said receptacle; and a cover for said receptacle for protecting said top when contained therein.

The combination with a vehicle body having a receptacle inclosed therein; of a oldable top for said body pivoted within the receptacle .and including one or more bows, said top when raised being wider, at its widest point, than said receptacle; means for varying the width off one or more bows whereby said top may, when lowered, be received in said recepta le; and a cover for said receptacleadapted to be placed in position whenthe top is lowered, or when the 1 'top is raised to protect the contents of said tacle; connecting means operative both when N eW York and State of New York this 6th.

the top is raised and when it is lowered for day of July A. D. 1914. connecting the top to the body and means for varying the Width of one or more of DARWIN HANAUER' .5 said bows whereby the top may when low- Witnesses:

ered be received within said receptacle. THOMAS VEYITCH,

Signed at New York city in the county of MAE HIRSCH. 

